1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a dispenser for holding a pomade having volatile ingredients. More particularly, the present invention relates to forming a seal for preventing volatile ingredients in a pomade, such as lipstick, antiperspirant, insect repellent or adhesive paste from escaping from the dispenser.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In the prior art, a pomade dispenser is comprised of a pomade partially disposed within a movable elevator cup having a pair of lugs. The elevator cup is disposed within a vertically slotted inner body, which is in turn disposed within a helically slotted cam body, also called a "cam." Each lug of the elevator cup extends into both a vertical slot of the inner body and a helical slot of the cam. By rotating the inner body relative to the cam, the elevator cup is caused via the lugs to move vertically in order to selectively expose the pomade. For ease of use, the inner body is connected to a base, and the cam is connected to a shell, also called an "A-shell," which is partially disposed within the base. Therefore, to vertically move the pomade, the A-shell is rotated with respect to the base.
When the pomade is not being used, it is desirable to prevent volatile substances from leaving the pomade. Recently developed soft pomade formulations utilize volatile solvents to maintain the desired homogeneous distribution of active and inactive ingredients throughout the soft pomade. Such volatile solvents evaporate more readily than conventional pomade ingredients, producing undesirable shrinkage of the pomade. Such shrinkage causes the pomade to detach from the elevator cup, and drop out of the dispenser, destroying the utility of the pomade before the pomade has been used up to the desired extent.
In the prior art, to prevent the volatile ingredients from leaving the pomade, the pomade is lowered into the A-shell and a cap is placed over the A-shell. Normally, the cap extends over both that portion of the A-shell which extends from the base as well as part of the base. The vertical inside surface of the cap is sized to contact the vertical outside surface of the base. Alternatively, the base may have a decorative band attached to the outside surface of the base which provides the vertical sealing surface for contacting the vertical inside surface of the cap. However, the vertical inside surface of the cap and the vertical outside surface of the base or decorative band are not designed to provide an airtight seal.
In some prior art designs, an annular flange extending from the base or the decorative band is added to provide an interference fit between the inside vertical surface of the cap and the flange, thereby providing a seal which is at best only along a thin annular line where the flange contacts the cap. In such a design, any deformity in the flange or the cap will permit volatile ingredients from the pomade to pass between the cap and the flange. Furthermore, a small amount of debris on the cap or the flange located along the thin annular line where the flange would normally contact the cap will permit volatile ingredients to pass between the cap and the flange. Consequently, these designs do not seal against evaporative loss of volatile ingredients.
The base-cap dispenser sealing features of the present invention, as well as the internal dispenser-sealing features of the co-pending Seneco-Kezema application filed under Attorney Docket Number 3-351-13 have successfully achieved substantially airtight sealing of pomade dispensers. This sealing has minimized or virtually eliminated the undesired shrinkage of pomade, even during extended periods of storage in inventory, or of non-use by the ultimate consumer. The useful life of these products and their value have thus been substantially increased by these sealing features.